Unless you have spent the last couple of months trapped in a cave you will undoubtedly have observed, read or heard that “cloud computing” is on its way and is likely to impact the way that a lot of of us use our computers and interact with the web over the coming years. Much has been written elsewhere about the implications of cloud computing in general and whether or not it is indeed destined to transform the way we use the web but, at this juncture, I am especially interested in exploring what the impact of cloud computing will be on mobile applications.
For the uninitiated, it is most likely worth reiterating briefly the key characteristics of cloud computing. In layman’s terms, cloud computing basically refers to the use of effective shared computing resources which are accessed remotely, typically via a web browser over the internet. Users do not need to have to know (or care) where the servers are located or where the programs they are utilizing are running – they just need to have access to a web browser to use the service from anywhere in the world. In practice, the term cloud computing has grown to refer to a number of related capabilities that can broadly be summarised under following categories:-
- generally virtual servers (e.g. Amazon EC2, Rackspace Cloud Servers)
- numerous services for software program development and deployment (e.g. Google Checkout, Force.com>
- totally hosted applications accessed via a browser (e.g. Webmail, Facebook, Google Apps, Salesforce.com)
It is the last category, SaaS, that I wish to focus on because it represents the visible face of cloud computing that most folks have already skilled. The benefits of web-based applications such as Gmail, Twitter, and Facebook are pretty obvious – there is nothing to download to your PC, you can access them from anywhere, they’re continually being enhanced and every time updates are made they turn into instantly accessible to any user when they next login.
For organization applications like Saleforce.com’s on-line CRM tool there are further positive aspects – such services are highly configurable and scalable so they can accommodate a lot of various sorts of client from quite small to quite huge with either easy or highly complex requirements. Furthermore, the commercial model employed by most SaaS suppliers (i.e. monthly subscriptions) is attractive since the price of entry is low (or zero) and the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining computing infrastructure to host the application are entirely eliminated.
So, how will this all affect the use and spread of mobile applications?
Over the past couple of years, we’ve witnessed the unprecedented success of the iPhone and Apple’s App Store and this has clearly demonstrated beyond doubt that there is a voracious appetite for mobile applications. Apple has led the way, but we are now seeing a plethora of competing app stores being announced by other players. Notable examples consist of Google’s Android Marketplace, Nokia’s OVI Store, RIM’s Blackberry App World, Symbian’s Horizon, Microsoft’s Marketplace and the Samsung Application Store.
It appears extremely unlikely to me that all these initiatives can succeed, but at the exact same time, it is a healthy sign that consumers will have far more choice, and a wide range of applications will turn into accessible to users of many distinct kinds of mobile (i.e. not just the iPhone). Even so, in this new world, where users of all device varieties (from the humblest Pay-as-you-Go handset to the latest, feature-laden Smartphone) are able to access mobile applications I think that downloading them from app stores is not the only way forwards.
The cloud computing model supplies a highly attractive alternative which in fact turns out to be ideal for supporting (relatively) low powered computing devices like mobile handsets. Whilst power-users with leading-of-the-range Smartphones could be perfectly happy downloading apps, the “average” user with a simple handset is likely to uncover that using cloud based applications via a browser is both simpler and far far better suited to the limitations of their phone. Much less computing horsepower and much less storage is needed and, as mobile network operators continue to increase information speeds, performance can only get far better and better. Already these days there are some fine examples of cloud based mobile applications such as Gmail’s mobile portal which gives an superb email experience entirely via a browser.
An additional significant factor to think about is that as the mobile application market matures many commercial organisations will recognise the require to mobilise core business applications. In contrast to the majority of “apps” that are becoming downloaded right now, most organization applications are far more complex and sophisticated and they call for appropriate integration with back-end systems. The SaaS model of delivery described above is as a result ideal for this category of application and will function equally well for mobile devices since of the “zero footprint” necessary on the handset coupled with the flexibility and scalability accessible when hosting the application in the cloud.
Over the next couple of years, we are also likely to see a number of technologies enhancements which will continue to encourage the development of cloud based mobile applications. Open standards such as BONDI, OneAPI and HTML5 will all help, producing it easier for developers to build cloud based applications that can be utilized across a wide range of mobile devices.
In summary as a result, I predict that cloud computing is highly relevant to the world of mobile applications, is especially well suited to serving the big numbers of mobile users who do not possess a Smartphone and that it is likely to turn out to be a parallel medium for delivering mobile applications to rival the app store approach. Welcome to the cloud!